Five tips for building an e-commerce success story in Finland

Finland has unlocked potential for e-commerce businesses. Cater to the right audience, localize your touchpoints, and establish a strong brand to secure your position in the market.

After the upsurge of e-commerce in pandemic times and the steep drop brought by war in Europe, we are back to steady growth of online shopping. The general uncertainty and rapid changes, however, make it hard to see which actions work long-term. Petri Vatanen, Head of e-Commerce gathered, five fool-proof tips to get you started with your e-commerce business in Finland.

1. Hone your message and offering for your audience

There’s no such thing as too much research on your target audience. Translating your message and simply going for it may work, but you’ll be more likely to succeed if you get to know your audience, their wants and needs, which media they spend time with, and what kind of products and messaging they value. Entering a new market is expensive, and comprehensive insight is invaluable. 

Read more: Hit your targets with data-driven marketing 

Finns are seasoned online shoppers. Still, there is unlocked potential especially in the demographics that are not yet used to buying online, such as the older generations. If that is where your target is, tailoring your marketing and customer experience for their needs could give you great results. 

2. Create an effortless, localized, and reliable customer experience 

Effortless buying is what matters most to Finnish online shoppers, so a seamless customer experience is key. Another vital point is safety and an air of reliability. Finns like to buy from domestic online stores, and less people look beyond our borders. As an international company, evoking trust through localized communications is essential. 

For most demographics, the Finnish language is a must. This means translating and localizing your shop, product descriptions, and marketing, but also providing customer service in Finnish.

3. Offer smooth payment and delight with quick delivery

Online banking is the preferred payment method for a large number of Finns. Offering the option of online banking alongside other methods is an important part of tailoring the customer experience for Finnish audience. 

While next day delivery is the norm in many places, the standards in Finland remain lower. You can still create an excellent customer experience by providing quick delivery. Having your stock in Finland both speeds things up and builds trust within your customers. 

4. Invest in building your brand long-term 

Having the muscle to invest in your brand and strategic marketing gives you upper hand when entering the Finnish market. Many of your competitors will emphasize tactical marketing, sometimes due to lack of resources. Putting effort in building your brand will give you a strong position in the market and definite competitive advantage. 

Read more: Brand building is vital for online stores

5. Combine mass media and digital marketing to gain a wide reach 

Many countries have seen a big drop in the consumption of linear TV and other mass media; in Finland, though, they maintain a strong reach. Keep your brand top of mind and drive traffic into your store with a combination of online and offline. Effective TV or radio advertising will put your message through to a large audience, but it needs to be paired with continuous digital marketing that will pull them into the store. 

The advantage of Finland as a media environment is that there’s no need to scatter your marketing efforts to many different places. Working with a big media company such as Sanoma is a one-stop approach that gives you access to channels from TV and radio to newspapers and magazines. This leaves you a whole lot more time to focus on the all-important creative side. 

Get to know the Finnish media user – download our guide to media usage in Finland